Versatile offense a plus for Colts

Andrew Luck and the Colts went with a no-huddle offense to open Thursday’s game.
(Photo:
Frank Franklin II/AP
)

Anything you see in the NFL preseason should be taken with a considerable grain of salt, but here’s something that was firmly established by the Colts in their exhibition opener on Thursday:

Their offensive versatility is going to keep opponents up at night.

The best example of this came when offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton unveiled a last-minute plan to his players Thursday morning to open the game with a no-huddle attack.

Late notice or not, they went out and executed with impressive precision. Quarterback Andrew Luck engineered a mostly seamless opening drive on which the Colts marched to the Jets’ 5-yard line before a botched snap following center Khaled Holmes’ ankle injury.

The no-huddle allowed the Colts to establish an early rhythm, something aided significantly by Luck’s calm demeanor.

The Colts went to the no-huddle attack in the latter stages of last season with success, and it clearly is going to be an element of their offense in 2014, too. Just how much remains a question.

But it doesn’t really matter. The larger point is that with Hamilton’s unending mixing and matching of everything in his voluminous playbook, the Colts will be hard for defenses to pin down.

“We’re doing a lot of it right now,” said quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who also employed the no-huddle against the Jets. “The way Pep rolls, we may do none of it next week. Who knows?”

If and when the Colts elect to expand their use of the no huddle, there are clear benefits.

Perhaps the primary objective: Creating defensive dysfunction.

“It just allows us to dictate the tempo of the game and gives our guys an opportunity to initiate the play as opposed to having to react to the defense,” Hamilton said. “It puts pressure on the defense to line up and gives us more opportunities at more plays and more opportunities at touchdowns, more importantly.”

Where the Colts are concerned, the no-huddle concept should not be confused with a hurry-up offense. There is a bit of a quicker pace, yes, but Luck and Hasselbeck were still able to take their time under center, allowing time to communicate calls and relay signals.

But the Jets, because of the ever-present threat of a quick snap, had limited chances to make substitutions. That’s a huge win for Hamilton, whose offensive attack — like a growing number of schemes in the NFL — is geared toward creating mismatches.

And because the Colts have the ability to run a number of different formations with their two-tight end lineup, Hamilton’s offense will have plenty of flexibility even when keeping the same personnel groupings on the field.

Running the no-huddle is not for amateurs. It requires large doses of trust and know-how. With Luck and young players who have proven to be quick studies, the Colts feel comfortable using the tactic.

“It takes guys up front that can handle it,” Hasselbeck said. “Andrew is great. He orchestrates it wonderfully. He uses his cadence really well. The offensive line has to communicate. They do a really good job of that. They’re a tight-knit group. That’s important. And then outside, with our receivers, (we use) very, very subtle hand signals. Very subtle. So sometimes you have miscommunications, but I think that’s a strength. You’ve seen Andrew in the past with (the) two-minute (offense). He’s done very well, particularly two years ago. I think it fits what we’re doing right now.”

The Colts, like most teams, will always use the no-huddle in small doses. Changing tempo is an important goal for Hamilton, so it’s unlikely to be used wire to wire in games. Equally important is remaining unpredictable.

“We (sometimes) go big personnel, we try to just run it down your throat,” Hasselbeck said. “We spread them out and go no-huddle. We do it all.”

What will next week bring? Maybe we’ll see the no-huddle, maybe not. But it’s out there on tape, for all the NFL to see and — the Colts hope — stress over.